Wild Child
by Anevay
Summary: The Pharaoh is a busy man. Too busy, even, for his best friend. But of course, Mana's having none of that! VASESHIPPING (one-shot turned ficlet)
1. Persuasion

**Disclaimer: For probably the thousandth time, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Nor do I own the song lyrics referenced below.**

A/N: So! Here's that random Vaseshipping fic. This is one-shot turned ficlet (since I can't seem to keep Vaseshipping as one-shots). I've got a lot of AtemxMana fics running around my head screaming _write me, write me! _And I keep yelling at them to calm down, 'cause really, I'll get around to every single one of them, but they're like two-year olds!

Ally: AAAANEVAAAY.

Anevay: Gotta hurry! Ally will be here to interrupt any second!

This is based on Enya's song _Wild Child__**,**_ which is good for Mana. So the lyrics are below in case you're interested.

* * *

_Enya: Wild Child_

Ever close your eyes

Ever stop and listen  
Ever feel alive  
And you've nothing missing  
You don't need a reason  
Let the day go on and on

Let the rain fall down  
Everywhere around you  
Give into it now  
Let the day surround you  
You don't need a reason  
Let the rain go on and on

What a day, what a day to take to  
What a way, what a way to make it through  
What a day, what a day to take to a wild child

Only take the time  
From the helter skelter  
Every day you find  
Everything's in kilter  
You don't need a reason  
Let the day go on and on

Every summer sun  
Every winter evening  
Every spring to come  
Every autumn leaving  
You don't need a reason  
Let it all go on and on

What a day, what a day to take to  
What a way, what a way to make it through  
What a day, what a day to take to a wild child

What a day, what a day to take to  
What a way, what a way to make it through  
What a day, what a day to take to a wild child

Da-da da da da da, da da da da da da  
da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da

What a day, what a day to take to  
What a way, what a way to make it through  
What a day, what a day to take to  
Da-da-da  
Da-da-da-da-da-da  
What a way, what a way to make it through  
What a day, what a day to take to  
What a day, what a day to take to a wild child  
What a day, what a day to take to  
What a day, what a day to take to a wild child

* * *

Now when and where does this take place? Allow me to tell you: (canon) Ancient Egypt, a few weeks after Atem's coronation as Pharaoh. Roughly. It's also not entirely accurate story-arc-wise (Mana uses his name a lot), but whatever.

READ!

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_Wild Child_

Mana huffed to herself. Pernickety Priests—that was what they were.

_Especially _Master Mahad.

And she wasn't standing for another minute of it. She hadn't seen Atem in, what, a week? Two? Far too long. Especially being _best friends_ and all, you'd think he would be able to take a break to spend time with her.

Nope.

As she had said, it was all the Priests' fault. Those Guardians—that Sacred Court. Sure, they were great, being his protectors and all, but honestly, the Pharaoh got all the crappy work handed to him. Paperwork, complaints and whiney villagers, more paperwork – blah, blah, blah. She was sick of it all. The Pharaoh should still be able to have some free time, right?

She tried Mahad first.

"Master Mahad," she said sadly, putting on the act and abruptly interrupting one of his lessons. "Why can't I play with the Pharaoh?"

Mahad made a face. "Mana, he is the _Pharaoh _now, not just the prince anymore. You have to understand—"

"That he has duties to fulfill and lots of responsibility, the entity of a living god, ruler of all Egypt, blah, blah," she waved it away, "Don't you think he might be stressed? Don't you think he deserves a break? Not just as a king, ruler, pharaoh, god, whatever—but as a friend?"

Her question got Mahad thinking. He sighed. "Yes, I agree that he deserves a break, but Egypt needs him, Mana. And besides, it is not up to me."

"Then who is it up to?" she demanded.

"Him, I suppose," her master shrugged. "I do not see why one day off would make any difference, and I am sure that the rest of the court would agree."

A bright, rather devious smile slid across her lips. Before Mahad could protest, she leapt from her seat and was flying from the room singing: "Bye, Master Mahad!"

Mahad sighed and shook his head, gathering his papers together and pilling them on top of his spell books. "I suppose that means there will not be any lessons for the next week…" Mahad muttered grumpily.

Mana, meanwhile, was hanging from the window outside of the room where Atem sat, resignedly going through papers and reports, making various notes and generally doing boring and uninteresting tasks. That would have to change, of course.

His attention was focused on some report, so maybe this time she would…

He spoke without looking up: "Aren't you supposed to be in lessons, Mana?"

Mana laughed. "How do you do that?"

He looked up. He was smiling, but there was a wary look in his eye accompanying the joy of seeing her. Probably because he knew what she had in mind, and he also knew that he had a lot of work—like always. He didn't have time to play, no matter how much he wanted to.

He stood and stretched. Mana immediately sprung forward, wrapping him in her signature flying leap hug. She beamed, and he beamed back. She was the only one who could ever make him smile like that.

She gave him her best puppy-dog expression, their faces barely inches apart. "_Please _play with me today?"

His too-old eyes drifted to the paperwork on his desk. He hesitated to abandon it, even for a day, as it would pile up ridiculously high by the afternoon. Mana held her breath, lips pursed, gazing hopefully at him. She could see the hesitancy, the sense of duty battling with his desire to abandon all work and play with his best friend. What would his father say?

He sighed, looking down.

Mana sighed, too.

"I'm sorry, Mana," he said quietly, "I just…" he looked away, his face twisted angrily. "I can't abandon my duties, Mana, I'm the Pharaoh now. I can't just…"

Mana sagged, her legs slipping down his body as she removed them from around him. Atem wasn't sure her full-body hugs were appropriate anymore; they made him blush, his mind wandering to place it shouldn't. Once his hands were free, he helped her down by placing his hands gingerly on her trim waist. Once she was down, her hands on his shoulders, he gently disengaged, stepping away and dismissing the feelings in his gut. He couldn't waste time anymore—he had too much to do. Responsibility took the fun out of everything.

She cast her eyes downward. It sent a pang to his heart to see her, normally so cheerful, now so sad. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "Sorry to bother you…" she drifted toward the door.

He bit his lip, but his hand flashed out and seized her hand. "Mana…" he tried.

She turned to him. Her aquamarine gaze was heartbreaking. "I just… miss you," she said softly, "All the time. I don't like it."

"I don't either, Mana," he assured her, still retaining her hand. "I… give me a few days, alright? I'll spend the day with you, just give me some time to sort out the details." _Egypt won't run itself, _he thought.

Her smile returned, and his heart lifted. It was incredible how influential she was on his mood. She grasped both of his hands. "Really?" she exclaimed. _"Yes!" _she cried, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I can't wait! I wonder if Master Mahad has a spell I can use to make time go by faster. Or make me hibernate for a few days," she pondered this. Her beaming smile returned and she spun gracefully from the room with a laugh of delight.

He turned away, chuckling, but twisted around and called quickly, "No experimenting, Mana!" He stared after her worriedly, but all he got in response was another laugh. He shook his head. Mana.

Now back to paperwork.

* * *

**I have the next part already written, so I'll be posting it tomorrow night! I'm trying to keep ahead of myself (posting/writing-wise) so I'm on time and not scrabbling to get it finished and perfected before posting it. That's never fun.**

**Anyway, R&amp;R! I love feedback!**

**~Anevay**


	2. Monsoon

**DISCLAIMER: How many ways can I put this? I'm out of ideas. Do not. Own. Yu-Gi-Oh! (sadly)**

A/N: Thanks to all those who have viewed this! Special thanks to Aqua girl 007 for favoriting and reviewing. You're the best, girl!

Hope you like it!

* * *

_Monsoon_

Mana picked the lock on the Pharaoh's balcony.

It was simple, really.

There would be rain tonight—in the winter months, it was rare, but Mahad had predicted a light rain tonight and he was rarely wrong. She wasn't going to let a little rain ruin her day with her best friend. Instead, she was going to take advantage of it.

The lock clicked and she grinned. She wore a long cream cloak over her dress and carried another for Atem. Slipping into his room, she tip-toed over to his bed, preparing to wake him—but she paused for a moment, taking a moment to gaze at him without thinking about it. He was shirtless (he never wore a shirt to bed) and his face was slack with sleep. She rarely got the opportunity to see him relaxed. His mouth hung open slightly, letting his light, deep breathing into the air: in and out, in and out.

She smiled. He was so cute when he slept. Well, time to wake up. She shook his arm. "Atem," she whispered at his ear, "Atem! Wake up! Time to go!"

He stirred as she shook him. His eyes fluttered before flashing open in alarm. "Wha—!" he relaxed at the sight of her. "Mana?" he asked incredulously. "What are you…"

"Rain tonight!" she hissed, tugging at his arm, "Come on!"

"Mana!"

"What?"

"I can't just—"

"Oh, sure you can," she waved a hand dismissively, "Your schedule tomorrow is clear for Mana Day and I'll have you back before the sun rises, so no one will even notice you're gone."

"Mana…"

"Come on! Please?" she turned pleading eyes on him, leaning on his bed as he sat up.

He grimaced, sighing, "Alright…"

Mana jumped atop his bed in triumph, jumping up and down silently so as not to alert the guards. He tried to still her, reaching for her as she bounced. He pushed the covers off and grabbed her ankle, causing her to tumble to the bed with an _oof! _

She giggled, rolling. He tried to escape her, backing away, but she rolled over the top of him, steamrolling him flat. She ended up at the head of the bed on her back, laughing silently, a hand covering her mouth. The Pharaoh blinked and blushed, foolishly, before rising and glaring at her. She launched herself at him, pushing him to the bed at his torso. He couldn't help but engage in the wrestling, trying to get her off of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling back gently. He was grinning. Arching his back, he shoved her backwards, trying to disengage her. All he managed to do was throw them _both _off the bed, where they thumped to the floor, laughing themselves silly. It was difficult to keep quiet.

They covered their mouths to stem the noise. Atem rose, drawing his shirt over his head and tucking it into the gold belt at his kilt. He helped her to her feet and swung the cloak she offered him around his shoulders. He removed his crown to keep it safe, tucking it under his pillow. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the balcony, and all the while, he tried to put his shoes on as they went. Somehow, he managed to get them on.

Exiting through the balcony, they descended into the courtyard, Atem pulling the hood up over his head while Mana led the way. "Come on, Atem!" she hissed, her hand slipping into his. A blush rose to his face in the darkness.

_Foolish, foolish! _he thought to himself, _Get a grip._

They prowled to the outer wall, the clouds gathering overhead, and as they had when they were children, climbed right over.

The rain began to fall as they entered the desert surrounding the village and palace, turning the sand to muck. They found an overhang at the edge of the village, where they removed their cloaks and shoes; Atem removed his shirt and Mana the cap on her head. The rain was coming down more consistently now, light and pattering, splattering on the sand in droplets, moistening spots into soft mud. The sand resisted, flattening, but the moisture seeped in anyway.

The warm droplets fell slowly and persistently on their heads. Mana twirled around, laughing joyfully. "I _love _the rain!" she cried, dancing in the water-logged sand.

Atem smiled, his responsibilities falling away. For the moment, he was just Atem, with his best friend—playing in the rain.

Mana spun, dancing. Atem couldn't help but join in. They kicked their feet in the sand, covering themselves in wet sand as well as water. As the water fell, soaking them, Mana's dress clung to her skin and Atem's kilt stuck to his legs. Atem's eyes moved appreciatively over Mana's figure. Blushing, he shook his head furiously, shaking droplets from his chaotic hair. _Stop it! _he thought angrily.

Similarly, Mana's eyes were constantly drawn to Atem's chest, but she didn't blush. He was too good-looking not to take advantage of the opportunity.

They lasted an hour in the monsoon before Mana announced that they were cold. Soaking wet, they donned their dry clothing over their wet and hurried through the water back to the palace. With Mana yelling over the rain, describing their 'perilous journey,' it was quite eventful. They laughed the whole way back, their teeth chattering.

"…and the great Mana saved the Pharaoh!" Mana cried. Atem laughed. Smiling over at him, Mana's foot suddenly slipped across the wet sand, dragging her downward.

She thought she was going to fall into the wet sand, but a strong, slender hand on her arm stopped her decent. Atem's hands cupped her under the shoulders like a child, gently pulling her back to her feet. She blushed as Atem straightened her soaking cloak. "Thanks, Atem," she hooked his arm with hers, trying to appear unabashed.

"We wouldn't want you falling into a sandy grave," his amethyst eyes twinkled. That baritone of his tickled her insides warmly.

"What would you do then?" she wondered, smiling.

He shrugged, "Probably run away."

"Why don't we just do that while I'm alive?" she laughed, though she knew the suggestion was heresy.

Atem didn't seem to mind, but he didn't laugh. "There are days I wish we could, Mana," there was a serious note in his voice even though he was smiling.

They climbed back into the palace easily. Back inside the courtyard, Mana's hand stole into Atem's and she dragged him indoors. They entered the washroom. "Stay," Mana held out her hand in the 'halt' motion. "I'll be right back with clean clothes."

He rolled his eyes, "Or we could both go."

"Naw, I'll be faster," she dashed from the room.

Shaking his head, Atem grabbed a towel to dry his hair. He unhooked his cloak, dropping it in a bin of dirty robes. Hopefully no one would notice. Removing his shirt, he rung it out over a drain. Once it was rung mostly clear, he added it to his personal bin of dirty clothing. That left the matter of his kilt. He grimaced.

He had his own tub to bathe in, of course, but that would mean leaving the room, and he didn't really need to bathe – he just needed to rinse off and put dry clothes on. There were several branching alcoves to the washroom where there were empty baths. He would wait until Mana got back to disrobe; it wouldn't do for Mana to walk in on him. He flushed at the thought.

Mana returned a few minutes later. She eyed him, "Already disrobing, your majesty?" Her tone was playful.

He grinned, holding down another wave of blush. "You said you would be fast," he shrugged. "Clearly not fast enough."

She puckered her lips, chucking a wad of clothes at him. "Cleanse yourself of your rudeness, Pharaoh!" she winked and dashed into one of the alcoves, disposing of her wet cloak as she went.

Atem appraised her figure with one last glance before she vanished into her chosen bathroom. He wanted to slap himself.

Atem bathed quickly. Mana was another matter. She took twice as long as he did. He sat against the wall outside the room, legs extended. "Mana," he called again, "Are you done yet?"

"So impatient," she chided, "No!"

He sighed.

While Atem had briefly rinsed and dried, Mana seemed to be taking a full on bath. _Women,_ Atem thought. Pleasant scents of blossoms drifted from the room. He knew that if anyone caught him waiting outside a bathing alcove while it was occupied – especially by a woman, and particularly by Mana – Shimon would have his head. Hypothetically, of course. He couldn't _actually _behead Atem. He frowned, _I think. _

At long last, Mana emerged. She wore a duplicate dress of her usual, a towel to her hair. She grinned at him. "Done!" she sang.

"I noticed," he replied dryly.

"Oh, don't be so sour. We're going to bed now, anyway – big day tomorrow. Up bright and early!" she said sternly.

He sighed, "Why didn't you tell me that _earlier?"_

"Because I wanted you to wait for me, silly," she shook her head, "You were my guard while I cleansed myself."

"You didn't want to be alone, did you?"

"No…" she replied sheepishly. "And I never get to spend this much time with you anymore."

"We weren't even talking," he pointed out, "And we're spending the whole day together."

"And this counts. 'All day,' Atem."

"I don't think they took nighttime into account."

"Well they should have."

Rising, Atem took her hand, "Come on, then. Big day tomorrow," he smiled.

Mana beamed.

* * *

**Much love. Next chapter posted tomorrow. R&amp;R!**

**~Anevay**


End file.
